islam

Islam (Arabic: الإسلام‎ al-’islām, pronounced is the monotheistic religion articulated by the Qur’an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: الله‎, Allāh), and by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunna) of Muhammad, the last Prophet of Islam. The word Islam means ‘Submission (to God)', and an adherent of Islam is called a Muslim.
Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable. Muslims also believe that Islam is the completed and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed at many times and places before, including notably, to the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus. But Muslims maintain that previous messages and revelations have been changed and corrupted over time, and thus entailing the Quran, which they consider to be the final revelation from God. Religious practices include the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five obligatory acts of worship, and the following of Islamic law (Arabic: شريعة Šarīʿah), which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, encompassing everything from banking and welfare to warfare and the environment.
The majority of Muslims belong to one of two denominations; with 75-90% of them being Sunni and 10-20% are Shi'a, in addition to a small minority belonging to other sects. About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country,[9] 25% in South Asia, 20% in the Middle East, 2% in Central Asia, 4% in the remaining South East Asian countries, and 15% in Sub-saharan Africa.[11] Sizable communities are also found in China and Russia, and parts of the Caribbean. Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world. With about 1.57 billion Muslims comprising about 23% of the world's population[11] (see Islam by country), Islam is the second-largest religion and arguably the fastest-growing religion in the world.
Etymology and meaning
The word islam is a verbal noun originating from the triliteral root s-l-m, and is derived from the Arabic verb ’áslama, which means "to give up, to desert, to surrender (to God)." Another word derived from the same root is salaam (سلام) which means 'Peace'. Believers demonstrate submission to God by worshipping Him, following His commands, and avoiding polytheism. The word sometimes has distinct connotations in its various occurrences in the Qur'an. In some verses (ayat), there is stress on the quality of Islam as an internal conviction: "Whomsoever God desires to guide, He expands his breast to Islam." Other verses connect islām and dīn (usually translated as "religion"): "Today, I have perfected your religion (dīn) for you; I have completed My blessing upon you; I have approved Islam for your religion."[22] Still others describe Islam as an action of returning to God—more than just a verbal affirmation of faith. Another technical meaning in Islamic thought is as one part of a triad of islam, imān (faith), and ihsān (excellence) where it represents acts of worship (`ibādah) and Islamic law (sharia).